It’s looking like the Cincinnati Reds got a bargain in Nick Martinez

When Nick Martinez officially accepted the $21.05 million Qualifying Offer given him by the Cincinnati Reds earlier this November, it was hard not to think about the dent it would put in the spendthrift team’s payroll. When the team has numerous voids in its lineup and an ownership group who persistently parks the payroll in the bottom third of the league, that’s a chunk of change that could have gone a long way towards addressing needs elsewhere, in theory.

In theory.

As teams venture deeper into this offseason, it’s becoming more and more clear that the Reds are walking into the 2025 season with a bargain in Martinez. Just last night, for instance, the New York Mets stumped up for a…